Autumn blues podcast Hello and welcome to this podcast brought to you by That's English!, the Spanish Ministry of Education's official distance learning English course. To find out more about That's English! go to www.thatsenglish.com or contact your local Official School of Languages. Drew: Hi Kate! What's up? You look really down. Kate: Nothing really, it's just that since I returned from my holiday and have been back at work, I feel sleepy all the time and generally a bit fed up, you know, rather down in the dumps. Drew: Oh dear. It sounds to me as if you're suffering from the autumn blues. Kate: Do you think so? Drew: Yes, I do. Apparently, in the fall, when the nights draw in and the days get shorter, the lack of sunlight affects our mood and may even lead to a vitamin D deficiency in the winter months. Kate: Well, it's never happened to me before. And why is vitamin D so important? Drew: Well, among other things it prevents S.A.D. Kate: And what is S.A.D.? Drew: Seasonal Affective Disorder. Kate: And how come you know so much about this? Drew: Well, as you can probably guess, I have suffered from this myself. Kate: Really? And what did you do to get over it? Drew: Well, I had quite a mild, one-off bout of it a few years ago. Fortunately, my doctor gave me a lot of good advice that I have since followed at the beginning of the fall, and I'm sure it's helped to prevent me getting it again. Kate: So why is the lack of sunlight so important and what can I do about it? Drew: Well, it seems that the lack of sunlight affects the brain, and this, in turn, affects the production of two important hormones. One of them is called "melatonin", which is a hormone that makes you feel sleepy. The lack of natural light makes the body produce more melatonin than during the summer months when the days are much longer. This is why, as you said earlier, you feel sleepy all the time. Kate: That's right. I thought it was because recently I've been sleeping really badly, waking up several times during the night. Drew: Well, it's all part and parcel of the same thing. Our body's internal clock uses sunlight to program various functions such as when we wake up, so it stands to reason that the longer hours of darkness are bound to affect us in some way. Kate: And how can we prevent this from happening, apart from going to live on the equator? Drew: Very funny...Well, the doctor told me that it was really important to get up early and make the most of the morning because it's when the daylight in winter is strongest, and go outdoors for at least 30 minutes a day. Kate: And if it's raining? Drew: You should still go out. I remember him saying that, even on an overcast day, the light is 500 times brighter outdoors than indoors. Kate: So, what you're saying is that just by going outside during the morning, this will help me to sleep better and feel more positive? Drew: Well, I found that running or having a brisk walk really helped to boost my mood when I was suffering from S.A.D. Like having a good night's sleep, being in contact with nature really lifts your spirits and makes you feel much better about life in general. Kate: I see...That makes sense...And which is the other hormone that is affected by the lack of daylight? Drew: Well, the shorter days reduce the body's production of this other hormone, serotonin, which is often called the "happy hormone" because it affects our mood. Kate: And what can you do to combat this? Drew: Well, here you have to be careful 'cause when the body's low on serotonin, it makes us feel like eating more carbohydrates, such as potatoes, rice or pasta, as they help to boost the production of this hormone... Kate: Oh, that's just wonderful! The lack of light makes you crave the kind of food that makes you put on weight so, instead of having the autumn blues, I'll end up fat and happy! Drew: Now, just hold your horses! There are other foods, apart from carbohydrates, which also help the body to produce serotonin, such as dairy products, fish, almonds, peanuts and bananas. Think about it: When have you ever seen an unhappy, overweight monkey? Kate: Okay, I get your point. Basically, you're saying that I need to get up early and do some exercise outdoors and include in my diet foods that boost my levels of serotonin, but being careful to avoid too many carbs. Drew: That's right...you got it! In a nutshell! But there are other things you can do as well, which I think will help you feel better. Kate: Such as...? Drew: Well, in the evenings, when it starts getting dark and cold outside, it's all too easy to fall into the trap of staying in and neglecting your social life. Kate: Oh, I love to curl up on the sofa with a good book, or watch a good film in the winter... Drew: Me too, but if you are feeling down, it's really important not to cut yourself off from your friends. You must make a point of regularly meeting up for a get-together and having a good laugh. You know that laughter boosts your endorphins, another feel-good hormone. Kate: It's amazing, we really are walking chemistry sets, aren't we? Drew: We certainly are. And something I found really useful and still try to do at the beginning of the autumn is to set myself a goal. Kate: What sort of goal? Drew: Well, to start off with, it shouldn't be very ambitious, but something simple, like reading a book that you've been wanting to read for some time, or going to the cinema or the theatre once a month. Kate: And how can this help me to feel better? Drew: Quite simply because it will give you a sense of achievement, which is so important for your self-esteem and personal motivation. Once you start feeling better, you should set yourself a more demanding goal. What I did was to start going to cookery classes. Kate: Cookery classes? Drew: Oh yes, and it's one of the best things I've ever done. I find cooking not only relaxes me but it's great fun trying out different recipes, and experimenting a little. It makes me feel so good when I prepare a meal for friends and everybody tells me how much they've enjoyed their food. It's really rewarding. Kate: Yes, I can imagine. Well, thank you so much, Drew. I really appreciate your advice. I'm going to put it into practice straightaway. Drew: You're welcome, Kate. I hope you feel better soon and always remember, no matter how long the winter, the spring is sure to follow. Drew: We hope you have found this podcast interesting. See you later! We hope you have enjoyed this podcast, brought to you by That's English! Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We look forward to hearing from you. Bye for now! Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/20-ways-to-beat-the-autumn-blues-1371446